Ten of Diamonds?

Well... Shit.

Even though it was eight on one, the mere presence of this twisted mockery of life seemed to crush us like an army. It flicked the cards away, leaving only one in each hand, one squeezed between her fingers and thumb.

Un-Oz tenses up. "...tuo ouy peek ll'I ,kcirt txen ym roF"

Sammy jiggles. "Did she say pickles? I love pickles!"

Un-Oz dashes directly at me, as we each ready ourselves. The first card is thrown like a dagger, right at my head, forcing me to duck to avoid it. This, however, seemed to be the plan. The second card was flicked at me, hitting with the face-side. The impact was sudden, and sent me flying off my feet, then off the road, and embedding me into the side of a large tree; several meters in the air. The air was **** out of my lungs; I felt my ribs shudder, and my wings break like twigs on impact.

Peering from above as my ears rang, another flick of the hand produced yet more cards; forcing everyone to back away quickly. Cilla's bolts and Scott's needles are deflected after a retreating attempts on the stitch creature's life. She was now surrounded... and according to the hum of her core, up to something...

"!kcirt txen ym roF"

"!tah ym morf delluP"

"!klis lufroloC"

"!kli ruoy gnidniB"

"!sieknaH gnidniB"

The tophat pops off of her had with a bang as her dim purple hair flies out from the wind; her headwear floating about as it begins spewing forth a vast array of colored handkerchiefs, each tied together in one long rope. The slithering silks move between brances and shrubs, intertwining quickly with the area to create a vast rainbow web.

"S-stay away from the cloth!" Says Zana; shaking up a storm in her shoes. "She's s-speaking backwards; that spell was called 'Binding Hankies'!"

I finally manage to pull an arm out from the tree's body as the spell finishes it's swift assembly; it wouldn't hurt if the damn tree wasn't leaking sticky sap all over me...

Looking down as I struggle to break out of my wooden prison, I see that the Binding Hankies have sectioned Gabriella, Scott, Sammy, and a still very shaky Klyde from the fight; with Ashes and Cilla having a slightly less layering separating them from Un-Oz...

and Zana.

"?uoy lliw ;mih yebo lliw I ...seilla s'rehtorb sih gnillik on dias gogrU droL" asks the warped woman.

The mousey mage raises her rifle, shaking badly as she aims; whispering faintly into the ether as Un-Oz stalks towards her. "Anaz... please be Anaz... please remember..."

"Necrotic Shift!" Is shouted as Ashes Spinal Blade emerges from the web of hankies. "Get away from her, you Stitch-Bitch!"

The blade grasps into the earth with its hand, pulling Ashes straight through hole in the web safely. As I pull one of my legs free of the tree, I see Cilla try and leap through that same hole, only for a card to fly through as she tries; cutting one of the threads. A portion of the handkerchief wall falls swiftly onto my Handler, where it then begins wrapping around her like serpents; imprisoning her on the spot by binding her arms and legs together.

"Gah! You stupid, rotted, stinking, whormmm!" Cilla shouts and curses as the bindings wrap around her mouth; gagging her.

"Teacher!" Screams Sammy, who runs straight through the handkerchiefs towards Cilla; which slip right through her gooey body as she goes.

".nwod enO" Says the creature, sticking out its tongue playfully; which itself is stitched together. ".og ot neveS"

I pull another leg free as I hear the click of a stopwatch; with Scott suddenly appearing on the other side of the wall of silk. He throws two of his needles as his double rushes forward with his third, backed up by Ashes, charging with her sword; lashing it out to grapple their enemy. Un-Oz deflects the needles, and tosses a card into the eye of Scott's double; forcing him to recall it before the injury becomes real, and recoiling in pain. Ashes lash wraps around the left arm of the patchwork predator, tightening around the limb as the Mohun pulls to yank the monster to the floor.

Only for the limb itself to be pulled, and launched at Ashes. The disembodied hand flicks out a card from nowhere, and impacts it face first into the ground beneath Ashes, sending he flying backwards into the web. As Un-Oz slowly walks over to her arm, the bindings slowly lift Ashes into the air, forcing her to do silly poses as she struggles against them.

".nwod owT .eheheheH"

I hear a shot fired from Zana's Boomstick, only for it to be sliced clean in half by the quick reaction of her old half. A second shot, and a third. Each treated much the same.

"Anaz..." Whimpers the girl, under her breath.

Several cards are thrown at the bumbling Slime who charges past this scene, only for them to stick inside, and be slowly dissolved. Not noticing the attempt on her life, Sammy begins trying to yank the handkerchiefs of Cilla.

"...semilS" Says Un-Oz, pulling an odd rock from her hat, and throwing it into Sammy.

"Ooo... I'm... sleepy..." Murmers the Slime, as she slowly sinks into a puddle.

".nowd eerhT"

I finally yank my other arm; the one with my hook, free from the tree's accidental grasp. Unable to fly with broken wings, I begin looking around frantically for some way to descend without breaking my neck... I have to help them...

I see Gabriella, standing perfectly still; her staff planted firmly into the earth, grasped in her ha d... why is she just standing there? Klyde seemed to have bolted at some point, getting wrapped up in another part of the web; fantastic. I hate him.

Damn it! Just go!

I leap as far as I can, hoping to clear the bindings and land right in the middle with the others; but I've actually overshot my jump. Trying to halt my momentum, I throw my hook as hard as I can down towards the ground; in the hopes I can pull myself downward instead. Only, Un-Oz had different plans. She throws her hat up towards my hook, which then flips around, allowing my hook to pass through it... it's not coming out the other end...

I feel a strong tug, stopping my momentum towards the web; then a harsh yank, plummeting me down to the earth. I fly past the hat, crashing into the ground face first; dust flying everywhere as I impact the dirt road. Dazzed, I try to stand, only to be pulled back down to my feet; the chain is still being pulled into the hat, now resting on the ground.

Scott seems to have recovered from his second-hand pain, and with the click if a stopwatch, he's holding a thread between himself, and Un-Oz; pierced in her side. He yanks the needle free, causing surprising fresh looking blood to splatter out from the wound.

"!haaG"

The puzzle-piece creature darts into is own handkerchief web, disappearing shorting in the direction of her first gory display of magic. Zana stands behind Scott, aiming into the rainbow of cloth. Cards fly out from the web, forcing the two away from each other as Zana fires, and Scott throws his needles in the general direction of the cards. The threads are then cut from above by the sudden appearance of a large, bloodied woodsaw; wielded as a weapon. As the needles tumble to the ground, Un-Oz lands, and slams another card next to the Tailor, blowing him right into her bindings. Zana had seemingly dropped her Boomstick after the card was thrown; now aiming her prosthetic instead.

I hear whispers as I struggle against the damned hat that was keeping me held by my own weapon; I'd undo the harness, but it's impossible to do so when the chain is pulled so tight.

".nwod ruoF"

The whispering becomes clearer; an incantation... two voices... from where?

Zana seems unable to move; tears in her eyes as she whispers to herself. "Anaz... please..."

Stop it. Stop it! Stop hurting my family!

I slam my left foot into the ground; embedding it deep into the earth as an anchor. Grasping my shortsword, I throw it as hard as I can at this thing that dared to hurt them. That dared to make Zana so upset. The blade was moving at absurd speeds from my rage-fueled thros; too fast for Un-Oz to turn and face... this is a kill shot

"Hand Cannon; High Impact!"

The blade is blasted to pieces midair; with Zana aiming right where it was.

"Anaz! Please! Please remember me! Remember us!" She cries, tears streaming down her cheeks as she tightens the grip on her prosthetic.

Un-Oz was staring at where my shortsword had been; returning her gaze to the one she was once a part of."...zanA... anaZ..."

The creature stiffens, darting its eyes to where I was hearing the whispers. It sprints for me, grabbing its hat, and swinging me like a projectile towards those same noises; binding me in the wall of handkerchiefs.

I hear them clearly now... it's... Gabbie, and Ariel!

I hear only the final word of their absurdly lengthy, near silent incantation.

"Martyr's Wrath!"

A blinding bright light then shines through the rainbow of silk; I feel the raw power of this spell, aimed at the person who was currently sprinting away.

Right behind me.

Well... Shit.

...

I open my eyes slowly; an ungodly burning sensation enveloping my whole body. Is this another dream? Another memory? No... I see the trees...

"Gods! He's burnt like a roast duck!" Yells Scott; who quickly produces a needle from his sleeve. "Sorry about this chap; Gabbie's ****, and this is worked last time..."

I feel a stabbing in my chest; right into my heart, as my body begins vibrating violently. The shadows of the woods sink into me as I begin to grow; just as last when I was a hairs breath from ****. Before long, I've gone from cooked crisp, to the thing that cooks the crisp; standing high above the rest in the group. From here I see the silked hell we were stuck in is all seemingly dead; inert handkerchiefs resting on he road. I revert from the overside form of a dragon, and back to a humanoid form, covering my shame with my wings as I look around for signs of our assailent.

"She's gone." Says Zana; sitting sadly on a log. "She... she ran away."

"Hey, it's ok Zana." Says Ashes, holding her friend in a gentle caress.

Turning back to where I was just moments ago, I see Cilla holding Scott by his throat. "Don't just stab him you God's damned Barbarian!"

"It worked!"

"And if it didn't!?"

I see Klyde just past the bickering duo, sitting by an **** Gabbie; with Sammy poking the poor Priestess in the cheek out of apparent boredom.

"Shiny Lady... wake uuup..."

Everyone seemed fine; maybe tired, but not injured, or dead... Gods, what a relief.

Ashes had seemed to calm Zana down, as she called over. "Hey, Monster? You, uh... you know how I can fix most things?"

"Yes?" I say, looking over to what she was talking about.

The Mohun prodded at a pile of molten slag, with burnt leather straps; laying right next to where I woke. "I don't think I can fix this..."

Well... Shit.